Remotely tracking elderly’s moves & vital signs, the future?

It’s no secret that the American population is getting older fast and the baby boomer generation has hit a point where health care and aging is becoming a focus of business, planning and development. The U.S. Census Bureau released the population of baby boomers at 78.2 million in 2005. The Census Bureau estimates that by the year 2030 there will be 57.8 million baby boomers between the ages of 66 and 84. Another fast growing and older population is the over 100 crowd. The University of Nevada released information about how there are now 70,000 people over 100 years old; by 2050, demographers estimate there will be 834,000.

With the fast pace growth in the numbers of elderly individuals in America, a growing list of ailments and diseases will see high growth too. A report released by the Alzheimer’s Association that you can read here, states that 1 out of every 8 boomers will develop Alzheimer’s Disease, which amounts to a total of 10 million new cases. The Census Bureau sees diabetes as being another disease that will see a dramatic rise with boomer growth. With rampant obesity among the boomers cases of diabetes, stroke, and heart attacks are expected to put Medicare to the ultimate test and literally overload the professional caregiver networks and the boomers’ own children and family. The American Optometric Association even released a report here warning of major growth in eye diseases and up to 20.5 million new cases of cataracts.

With boomers’ own children, family, doctors and caregivers completely overloaded with the growing needs of the aging population, technology is expected to step in and lend a hand. Although telemedicine hasn’t really seen it’s day yet, it is literally around the corner. With most baby boomers still craving their independence, living centers and alternative living isn’t always a solution that is workable. Telemedicine is allowing monitoring of vital signs and accurate remote measurements for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions. At companies like A&D Medical, products are manufactured to work with various wireless technologies like Wifi and Bluetooth. Telemedicine components that are wired and wireless products can communicate and upload data to compatible Access Points. The Access Point then sends the information to a central station where a health care provider can monitor the baby boomers and treat them by “exception.” If measurements are abnormal or there is no measurement at all, the baby boomer or elderly patient would be contacted.

Looking beyond just telemedicine, there are companies that are releasing new innovative products in the remote monitoring area focusing on the elderly and the exploding baby boomer market. At this year’s Consumer Electronic Show, a company called 4HomeMedia demonstrated products that help remotely monitor the elderly and also combine the telemedicine functions mentioned previously. Looking at their press release describing their services you’ll see the direction this all seems to be heading, “By creating a passive monitoring network around a senior in their normal home setting, both family members and professional care-givers can log into a personalized Web page and get historical trend data, real-time status updates, and proactive alerts about the health and well-being for that monitored elder

The recommended starter kit for the IL service includes the Home HealthPoint, three motion detectors, and an emergency pendant. The motion detectors are strategically placed around the home during the professional installation in the bedroom, at the entrance to the primary bathroom, and in the main trafficked area such as a foyer or living room. Additional sensor devices such as additional motion detectors, access contacts on the refrigerator or doors, a smart pillbox, or IP cameras can be utilized to supplement the monitoring data sets being produced within the home.”

The development in the telemedicine and remote monitoring industry doesn’t end there however. Large corporations and organizations are making big pushes and investments in these areas that are expected to grow rapidly. In a New York Times article you can read here, Intel is found discussing it’s $3 million dollar investment in the Oregon Center for Aging and Technology that runs a living laboratory, with 225 volunteers. This center is setup to sense the people living there through the walls, doorways and appliances. In the NYT article, Intel is found talking about their research development, “Intel researchers are developing devices like a “memory bracelet” that vibrates at a specified time to remind the wearer of a doctor’s appointment or to take medication. Also in trials are sensor-infused carpets — Eric Dishman, Intel’s director of product research, calls them “magic carpets” — and wearable sensors, which would measure changes in gait, to help avoid falls.”

Another big organization getting involved in the baby boomer elderly market was just recently created and named the Continua Health Alliance. Large corporations are getting involved like GE Healthcare, IBM and Medtronic. The one thing all these corporations, private investors and research centers are hoping will materialize is more insurance coverage and government assistance for seniors and baby boomers to take advantage of these advancements. Even though interest is growing, innovations are brewing and whole industries are jumping on the baby boomer marketing bandwagon, Europe is still seeing stronger development and funding in these technologies and services. What really remains to be seen out of all this technology that sounds helpful, is how helpful and accepting will the baby boomer generation be in letting it surround them?